Coffee Chat
by youareafigment
Summary: Danny is feeling lonely now Holly has moved out to university. Whilst he and Sasha are on route to question a couple of suspects in a current case they have a chat about their personal problems and try to help each other out. (This is a quick fic I though of during series 11, it's not my best but I hope you enjoy it anyway!)


Danny Griffin woke up and made his way to the kitchen in his old worn slippers that he had had for about a decade. Whilst stirring his cup of coffee he thought about his daughter Holly who had recently moved away to university and how he was going to cope without her. She had always been his rock, the open arms after a bad day and even when she went on a bit too much about him getting a girlfriend he couldn't help but love her to bits. Now she was gone the house felt very empty and cold. There was no jazz music blasting out or a warm smell of risotto that she was cooking wafting though the house. Danny sighed and got back to making his coffee and then got ready for work.

His hand hovered over the 'call' button on his phone but he knew she wouldn't want to talk to her old dad when she had new friends and a boyfriend. This was the time for her to live her own life and not hover around him. He knew it was going to be hard but this was another level, he missed her with every inch of his body. Walking in everyday to silence instead of a 'Hey dad' in her happy voice was taking its toll.

"Morning" Danny said as he walked into the UCOS office to the rest of the team. Gerry and Steve gave a grunt of acknowledgement and Sasha smiled.  
"Right, now we are all here I think that we need to go and see Mr and Mrs Petersen again and try and break their alibis. Danny, you come with me." Sasha told them.  
Danny went with Sasha and sat in the passenger seat of her car. She stated the engine and they set off. The Petersen's lived a little way out of the city and as Danny looked out the window he watched the tall concreted buildings to rolling fields full of crops and farm animals.  
"... so I think that would be the best way of doing it." He suddenly came out of a traced and heard the tail end of what Sasha was saying.  
"Sorry?" He asked quietly.  
Sasha frowned, "Danny, are you ok? Is everything alright? You have been really quiet and out of sorts on this journey." Sasha questioned.  
"Mm, yeah, no I'm fine" Danny replied quickly and went back to looking out the window.  
"Damn, I need petrol" Sasha announced and they soon stopped at a service station.

Sasha came back from paying with two Costa Coffee cups in her hand, she got in the driver's seat and handed him one.  
"Want to tell me here?" She asked. "What is the matter?"  
Danny took a breath. She was just going to ask until he told her so he might as well.  
"It's silly really. It's just that now Holly's gone and everything is different, I am finding it quite difficult. I knew it would be hard but I thought by now I would be use to it. It's always been me and her, I thought it might be nice, you know, to have some time for myself but It's not, Sasha, it's really not." He looked up at her and she was looking him in the eye with a sorrow look in her eyes.  
"Oh Danny!" She exclaimed. "I was just the same with my two, when my youngest left and it was just me and Ned I felt like a huge part of me was missing. And now Ned has.. Well now I live on my own it's like it is all happening again. But Holly will come back and it will go back to normal when she does. When my two come back it will all be different, god know how they will react to a big empty house without their dad." She sighed.  
"But this is all for the best . Just think if Holly hadn't had gone, if she had stayed just because of you how guilty you would feel taking that opportunity away. She's not that far away anyway if you ever did need her and she loves you so you can always call, I'm sure she'd love to catch up!"  
"Yeah, it's just me being silly. She is having a great time, I know she is. It is just so different. I am truly sorry about you and Ned, that must be really hard.." Danny replied, carefully not being too specific when mentioning Sasha's ex.  
"Oh he had it coming. When you do something like that there is no going back. In some ways it feels like a weight has been lifted but some days it is hard waking up in bed on your own, going to make a cup of tea for one but.." Sasha sighed "I have you and you have me. In some ways we are going though the same thing. If you ever need to talk you know my office door is always open."  
Danny smiled at her "Thank you." He said simply.  
"So the Petersen's?" Sasha quickly changed the subject  
"Yeah only 10 minutes away now isn't it?" Danny looked at the map  
"I believe so!" Sasha confirmed and they set off again.

For the last 10 minutes Danny felt much happier. Holly would be coming back, Sasha was right. He was being selfish wanting her back, she needed to live her own life and meet her own friends. Although his family had had its fair share of problems, more than he cared to admit, right now he and Holly were very close. Sasha had been cheated on and was still getting over that. Her family would never go back to how it was. Danny though that right now, he was very lucky indeed. 


End file.
